NY Mets Issued Warning Over Potential Alonso Trade

The New York Mets are a disaster right now. The losses are piling up, they're falling farther and farther out of playoff contention, and controversy surrounds the team on and off the field. If this keeps up, per noted insider Ken Rosenthal, it's quite possible that they will be forced to trade the face of the franchise Pete Alonso come the deadline in two months' time.

If they are out of contention and they can't sign him—and they cannot sign him because he is a Scott Boras client and is unlikely to sign an extension—they have to listen (to trade offers).

But at the same time, Rosenthal offers the Mets a warning: if they have any perceived thoughts of just trading him for a haul of assets and then trying to go sign him back again as a free agent next winter... Not a good plan:

This concept that some fans have that, 'hey, you can trade this guy and then re-sign him'—That hardly ever happens... Once you cut the cord, once you send that player the message, it just encourages him to test the open market which he might've done anyways.
So the real decision for the Mets is: if they want Pete Alonso—and I'm not sure they want a first baseman entering his 30s who is obviously going to decline at some point in his long-term contract—but if you do want him, then yes, you keep him and you take your chances at the end of the season.
But if you trade him: that's it.

Make no mistake, the Mets have wanted to re-sign Alonso all along, having offered him a substantial extension last summer at seven years and $158 million, but he (and/or, more likely Boras) turned it down, and now here we are.

Alonso is a three-time All-Star, was the Rookie of the Year in 2019, and has posted three 40+ home run seasons in his four full big league years (2020 was the shortened season). He's also topped 118 RBIs three times and has a career .861 OPS and a 135 OPS+ in the heart of the Mets lineup — a lineup that would be in tatters without him. And don't forget the durability: he's played well over 150 games in each of those four full seasons.

A big decision looming for the Mets come the end of July. And if they do trade him, they're best to take heed of Rosenthal's warning.